On a sunny weekend in 2016, racial tensions flared when two white off-duty cops fatally shot an armed black man in Mount Greenwood.

Joshua Beal, 25, of Indianapolis, had been in a funeral procession in the predominantly white neighborhood on the Far Southwest Side. The death of Beal, who was serving as a pallbearer for his cousin, prompted African-Americans to march in the neighborhood, yelling, “CPD, KKK!”

In response, Mount Greenwood residents took to the streets to show their support for the police and their neighborhood, a stronghold of white city workers. A white off-duty firefighter who was attacked during the incident posted the message “Mount Greenwood Strong” on his Facebook page.

Now, nearly a year and a half later, three city agencies reviewing the chaotic circumstances leading to Beal’s death say they’re continuing to investigate and won’t talk about the case.

But, according to dozens of pages of detectives’ reports and photos that the Chicago Sun-Times obtained only after suing the city to get them:

• A woman taking a smoking break from her bartender’s job said she heard a white driver shout the N-word to African-Americans in the funeral procession. That prompted them to stop, and she said she saw a black man then punch the unidentified white driver.

It was always my understanding that funeral processions have the right-of-way, and even upon vehicles leaving a cemetery, that respect should be shown because the people just said their last good-bye to someone they will never see again.

I’m just going to post items from the article in order to attempt to understand some of the things that unfolded that day. It is confusing to me.

It seems as if witness perceptions of what occurred during that chaotic scene varied widely.

Ofc. Treacy pointed his gun at unarmed people as can be seen in this photo of an unarmed woman:

The caption for this photo in the article states “Off-duty Officer Joseph Treacy points his weapon at a woman during the confrontation in which he later shot Joshua Beal. This photo is a screen grab of witness’s cellphone video obtained by investigators. | Civilian Office of Police Accountability”

Does the following from the article tell what led up to Ofc. Treacy pointing his gun as seen in the above photo?

Kinsella told detectives he was attacked by African-Americans in the funeral procession after he ordered them to get back in their vehicles and stop blocking access to a nearby fire station. Kinsella — who was a police officer before he joined the fire department — suffered bruises and scratches to his face and a swollen nose, according to police records.

“Kinsella told detectives he was attacked by African-Americans in the funeral procession after he ordered them to get back in their vehicles and stop blocking access to a nearby fire station. Kinsella — who was a police officer before he joined the fire department — suffered bruises and scratches to his face and a swollen nose, according to police records.”

The cars had stopped by the fire station because ….(bold emphasis added)

“Michael Beal told detectives he and his family were driving away from the cemetery when a man he called an “officer” made several attempts to hit his sister’s car, the reports show. He said the car he was riding in stopped in heavy traffic on 111th, and the unidentified “officer” approached him and his family with a gun in hand. Michael Beal said he never attempted to fight anyone.”

“A white man driving one of the cars yelled at black women in another car, calling them the N-word. The cars stopped, and a black man punched that white man in the face, the bartender told detectives.”

Thanks, Xena. I was confused because Michael Beal (in what you quoted from the article) did not mention the N word being hurled at them as his reason for stopping, but instead said he stopped because the unidentified white officer “made several attempts to hit his sister’s car.”

“Instead of saying “I’m the f— police,” should Ofc. Treacy have shown his badge? “

We can only speculate on an answer, so I will need to ask a question in return? How would showing a badge suppose to deescalate when Treacy was off duty and pulled a gun on citizens? It’s not as if he got out of his car, introduced himself as a police officer without the potty-mouth and asked if he could be of assistance.

Joshua and others had just been called the most hateful racial epithet known to mankind. His response was in violence, but it was not the man using that hateful word who was there asking for police. It was the EMT who felt entitled to tell people in a funeral procession that they needed to move their vehicles and apparently, Treacy was upset because he was caught in traffic.

Two wrongs don’t make a right but do you think a badge would de-escalate the death threat of having a gun pointed at you?

My asking if Ofc. Treacy should have shown his badge instead of saying “I’m the f— police” was to highlight how unprofessional he had been and to point to his responsibility in the inciting of the confrontation. I do not understand why he still has a job. I have not forgotten that he is recorded in his 911 call as TWICE calling the Black occupants of the car “motherf—–s.” That lack of “professionalism” should cause him to lose his job in my opinion.

From the article you linked in your post:

In the call to 911, Treacy can be heard saying he was being “encircled by two cars right now.” Twice, he’s heard referring to the black people in those cars as “motherf—–s.”

Phil,
Yes, and in my humble opinion, they should never have guns. The use of guns show us that when people are angry; or want to intimidate, or want to control, they let guns speak for them. Guns have become another confusing language of the tower of Babel.